1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner with an air cleaner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional air conditioners incorporate an air cleaner which serves to remove fine dust and odors in room air circulated by the conditioner. In general, the air cleaner includes an electric dust collecting portion and a deodorizing filter, which are arranged upstream of a heat exchanger of an indoor unit of the air conditioner. The dust collecting portion is provided with a plurality of ionization wires, connected to the positive side of a high-voltage power source, and an opposite electrode member including a plurality of electrode plates which are opposed individually to the ionization wires.
In the conventional air cleaner, the electric dust collecting portion and the deodorizing filter are arranged upstream of the heat exchanger so as to overlap each other in the flowing direction of air. In this arrangement, the room air flows serially through the dust collecting portion and the filter into the heat exchanger. Thus, the introduced air is subject to a substantial pressure loss which is attributable to the air resistance of the dust collecting portion and the filter. In consequence, the efficiency of the air conditioner is reduced.
A control portion for controlling the air conditioner and the dust collecting portion is located adjacent to the collecting portion. Thus, the control portion may be adversely affected by noises attributable to electric discharge of the dust collecting portion, or by leakage current produced in case of poor insulation in the high-voltage power source.
Moreover, since the deodorizing filter is adjacent to the electric dust collecting portion, the filter may possibly be ignited by the electric discharge of the dust collecting portion.